A Russian Oligarch Is Paying At Least $163 Million In Britain's Most Expensive Divorce Ever

Wikimedia CommonsBoris Berezovksy, a Russian millionaire who made his fortune in the auto and oil industries, will pay a record amount to divorce his second wife, according to T he Guardian (via Mogulite).

London's High Court stamped the settlement today; the pair had previously finalized their divorce at an amicable hearing that lasted just 45 seconds.

While the court was not informed of the final sum, it's understood that it was more than $163 million, The Guardian reported. And The Telegraph reports that the settlement could be as high as $359 million.

Berezovsky and his former wife, Galina Besharova, have actually been separated for the past 16 years of their 18-year marriage.

Besharova only insisted on finalizing the separation because Berezovsky's new companion is continually referred to as his "wife," according to The Telegraph.

The pair met in Moscow in 1981 when he was working as a math professor. He later made a fortune running Mercedes dealerships in Russia and diversified his portfolio by investing in oil. He's worth around $550 million, according to reports.

Berezovsky fled Russia in 2000 when Putin rose to power and was granted political asylum in the UK.

He currently lives on a 172-acre estate in Surrey, while Besharova will remain in her west London penthouse with their two teenage children, according to The Guardian.

The settlement shatters the previous record for a divorce payment in Britain. Insurance executive John Charman paid his ex-wife $78 million to settle their 2006 divorce, The Guardian reported.